Chapter 3: Celestial Divine Core
The knights' faces burned with determination, their eyes locked on Elias with unwavering loyalty. As one, they dropped to their knees, their armor clanking against the stone floor.
"We will march forward," they declared in unison, their voices echoing through the room. "We will conquer. And we will kill."
The words hung in the air, a solemn oath sworn to their leader. Elias stood tall, his heart filled with pride and purpose. He knew that he had the loyalty of his knights, and together, they would achieve greatness.
The knights rose to their feet, their faces set with unyielding resolve. They knew that their journey would be fraught with danger, but they were ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
Elias smiled, a fierce glint in his eye. "Then let us begin," he said, his voice dripping with anticipation. "Let us march forward, and let us conquer the world."
The knights cheered, their voices echoing through the room. Elias stood tall, his heart filled with excitement and purpose.
The system panel reappeared before Elias. He saw that he had completed the quest, and the reward was waiting for him. However, he decided to delay accepting it for now.
Instead, he turned to Gareth, who stood nearby. "Gareth, you're now the Captain of all the knights," Elias said. "I want you to organize and write down the levels of all the knights. Bring the list to me as soon as possible."
Gareth nodded, his face serious. "Yes, My lord. I'll get it done immediately."
Elias nodded, then added, "Also, investigate the people living on the island. I want to know their numbers, their skills, and any potential threats they might pose."
Gareth bowed. "I'll see to it, My lord."
With his instructions given, Elias dismissed the knights. "You may leave me alone for a while. I need to focus on my cultivation."
The knights bowed in unison, their faces respectful. "Yes, My lord."
As they filed out of the room, Elias turned to the system panel. "Accept the reward," he said.
The panel flickered, and a surge of knowledge flooded Elias's mind. He felt his understanding of knight cultivation expanding, and he saw that the technique was of a high level.
In this world, cultivation techniques were divided into five levels: low, middle, high, sky, and divine. Elias had only read about the sky and divine levels in books; they were rare and highly sought after. Even his father, the emperor, had cultivated a middle-grade technique.
Elias's eyes widened as he realized the potential of the high-level technique he had just received. He felt a surge of excitement and anticipation, knowing that this would be a game-changer for him.
....
The system interface flickered to life before Elias again displaying a simple message:
"Accept Celestial Divine Core reward?
Yes | No"
Elias hesitated for a moment, considering the potential benefits and risks. Then, he made his decision.
"Yes"
The moment Elias willed his acceptance, reality fractured. **He accepted the Celestial Divine Core.**
A **supernova detonated within him.** Not merely a surge, but a **tidal wave of primordial energy** crashing through every vein, nerve, and cell. **He felt a searing nova of power ignite in his dantian** – not just heat, but the forging fire of creation itself. **His body began to undergo a transformation** so profound it bordered on annihilation and rebirth.
His vision whited out. When it cleared, the decaying palace seemed etched in hyper-clarity. **His eyes blazed with molten gold light**, casting sharp, alien shadows. **His skin shimmered**, not just smoother, but as if dust and imperfection had been scoured away, revealing luminous alabaster beneath. Muscles thrummed with coiled, unfamiliar power; senses expanded until the whisper of settling dust sounded like falling gravel. **The transformation was both exhilarating and unsettling** – a godling's power coursing through the frame of an outcast.
As the chages subsided, leaving him trembling with residual energy, Elias looked around, taking in his new surroundings with transfigured sight. And he saw it: the very fabric of the air was alive. Tiny, shimmering dots of light weren't just floatng; they danced*– swirling, colliding, forming ephemeral rivers and eddies of pure potential. Reds pulsed like captured embers, blues flowed with liquid grace, greens vibrated with nascent life, greys anchored with stoic weight, silvers darted with impossible speed.
"These... these are the elemental energies, Elias breathed, the knowledge rising not just from memory, but from the core itself. *"Fire, Water, Ice, Wood, Earth, Wind, Light, Darkness, Lightning..."His golden gaze pierced deeper, discerning rarer, almost imperceptible strands – the shimmering silver skeins of Space and the elusive, flowing river of Time, the supreme elementsbending reality at its edges.
Elias's eyes widened, not just in realization, but in awe. He wasn't just seeing them; he was perceiving their essence, their song. He focused his mind, turning his golden gaze inward.
Instantly, the decaying palace vanished. His inner world unfolded – a vast, starless void.** And at its heart, **a miniature sun raged: the Celestial Divine Core.** It pulsed with rhythmic, blinding **golden energy**, radiating waves of pure potential that pushed against the void's boundaries. **Surrounding it, orbiting like celestial bodies drawn by its gravity, were radiant spheres, each a concentrated vortex of pure elemental power:** a crimson inferno (Fire), a sapphire ocean (Water), a diamond glacier (Ice), an emerald forest (Wood), an obsidian mountain (Earth), a cyclone of silver (Wind), a blinding star (Light), an all-consuming shadow (Darkness), and a crackling violet storm (Lightning).
"Whether a knight channels energy through flesh and steel, or a mage weaves spells from the Aether's song,"Elias understood with crystalline clarity, the core's knowledge flowing into him, "the foundation is the spirit core. It is the crucible, the engine, the sovereign command center that draws in, refines, and unleashes the elemental energies."
Elias's gaze locked onto the pulsating golden sun. He didn't just see it; he felt it. A profound, resonant **connection vibrated through his very being.